"Community" is the most important aspect of community engagement. Unlike service volunteering, our goal in VCE is to work together with the members to better the community. As we learned in training, service and philanthropy are wonderful things that can help create change in the world, but the results are only short term if they are not sustainable, and this sustainability is created by working with, not for, the community. By teaching the community members methods to better their town or city so that they may continue our work together once we are gone, we create a lasting, sustainable, and effective change.
At Ikaya Primary School in Kayamandi, we are not there to give the students supplies or to repaint the classroom or to build a new outdoor play area. We make our impact by playing with the students and helping the teacher with the topic of the week. The children love having our attention and being able to play and interact with us. We are starting to know each one by name and are learning their personalities. I believe that is all a huge part of community engagement: interacting with and knowing the people you are working with, not just working for unnamed people.
Each community has it's own areas needing improvement, and it makes me happy to know that there is something we can do to help Kayamandi. By working with the teachers, with the students, and with the international students in our groups, we are able to effectively engage the community and learn about its members, which leads to a more sustainable change. This is why community is the most important part of community engagement.
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